The silence of the forest allowed the whistle's echo, and Bami felt it guided him in finding Haru. However, this time, Bami's heart was beating rapidly not only with hope of finding Haru but also due to the threat he sensed. Someone was watching them, seemingly with intent to kill.
As Bami moved through the dense foliage, he thought about where Haru might be and what condition he could be in. The whistle sound momentarily ceased, tightening Bami's heart. He worried that something bad had happened to Haru. He quickened his steps, filled with determination. He had to find him.
When he finally emerged into a clearing, Bami found Haru lying on the ground. Haru's face was pale, his breathing irregular. Bami rushed to his side immediately, his eyes filled with fear and concern. "Haru! What happened? Are you okay?" he asked.
Haru was looking at Bami with effort, his eyes barely open. "Bami... I don't feel well," he said in a weak voice. "I just wanted to rest for a bit, but now... I'm very tired."
Seeing how weak Haru was, Bami became even more concerned. "Haru, we need to get up from here," he said quickly. "I'll help you."
Bami knelt beside Haru, scanning anxiously around while trying to assist Haru. Suddenly, he noticed a slight movement at the top of a nearby tree. His eyes quickly turned in that direction, but he didn't see anything. It was a moment where he instinctively sensed danger.
"Bami said urgently, "Haru, I need to understand what's happening to you." He squeezed Haru's hand, continuing, "Tell me how you're feeling. We need to figure out what's causing this.
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Looking at Haru's pale face, he struggled to speak. "I ate something, but I don't remember what," he said. "I just came to rest among the trees. Then... everything became blurry."
Bami took a deep breath, thinking. "You ate something and then everything became blurry?" he repeated. "Maybe you've been poisoned. I don't know what kind of plants are in these depths of the forest, but we need to figure out what to do next."
Haru's eyes slowly closed and his breathing grew weaker. Bami looked around helplessly. Suddenly, he thought he heard footsteps approaching from behind. When he quickly turned, he saw someone advancing towards them from the depths of the forest. The figure was indistinct among the shadows, but Bami instinctively knew that this person was dangerous.
They stared at each other for a long moment, each waiting for the other to make a move. It was, of course, Haru who broke the silence.
Standing up, he exclaimed, "What a feast I had!"
Luckily, Haru seemed to have returned to his usual self as he pointed to the person in the shadows and asked, "Bami, is this your friend?"
Bami replied with annoyance, "Does he look like my friend? Read the situation a bit."
Surprised, Haru responded, "Don't you know him then?"
Bami yelled, "Why would someone wearing a broken skull mask be my friend?"
Haru raised both of his arms, saying, "But he also has a sword like you."
Pointing at him, Bami replied, "Not everyone carrying a sword is my friend. How did you even think that?"
Haru said dejectedly, "Oh, forget it. He's not even here anymore, look." He pointed to where the person had been standing.
Will Haru and Bami be able to get out of this forest in the next chapter.